In Green Roots Cafe on May 18 the Taiwanese Student Association hosted a tea party featuring bubble tea.
Ayaka Hara is from Japan and is a PSU student in sociology. “[I attended the party] to meet my friends.” Hara performed a traditional Japanese song, “Ashita Ga Arusa,” at the opening of Portland State’s International Night on Saturday, May 21.
Accompanying Hara was Harumi Sokau a Portland native. “[I attended] to socialize and make new friends [and] meet old friends.” When asked if she thought the event was a success she replied, “I think so. It integrates a lot of different cultures and also helps build social skills,” Sokau said. “It gives international students a chance to practice English.”
Aua Ho Kim is a PSU international student in computer science. He attended the event for “the bubble tea!” When asked how he heard of the event, Kim said that at “last week’s coffee hour [the Taiwanese Student Association announced] they will bring bubble tea next week,” Kim said. “The coffee hour is weekly, I think it is for all students because they need someone to speak English with, right?”
Along with Kim is Seongmin Park, Korean exchange student from Ulsan, South Korea. “I practice speaking English every week [when I] come to coffee hour.”
The PSU International Student Association hosts the weekly coffee hour. “A lot of people [come] because of all the tea.” Kim said. “Seventy percent of coffee hour [attendees] are exchange students from Korea and Japan.”
“And China and other countries. Students come here mostly [from] Asia,” Park added.
